Ghana Prays Together… As It Marks 25 Years Of Stable Democracy

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has noted that Ghana continues to face myriad of challenges despite the successes so far chalked.

According to him, the country has not yet reached its full potential as there is still widespread poverty lurking among the people.

“Despite all these gains we must acknowledge that we have not reached the potential we should have. The biggest challenge we face is how to eradicate wide spread poverty”.

Nana Addo was addressing a multitude of Ghanaians who had converged at the Independence Square in Accra to thank God for a stable democracy in the last 25 years.

The non-denominational thanksgiving service was under the theme: “Celebrating the goodness of the Lord”.

Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that there are still challenges in the performance of our public service and that Ghana still faces threats (both traditional and contemporary) on its security and social stability fronts. These, he said, include chieftaincy, land disputes, conflicts, vigilantism, youth unemployment, economic hardships and corruption.

He, however, contended that the fundamental commitment to resolving these challenges within the frame work of due process must be unshaken.

While paying tribute to his predecessors for their contribution to the development of the country, Nana Addo indicated that even when there was a disagreement with the outcome of an election it was the Supreme Court, rather than the streets, that resolved it.

“Our goal has to be constant in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians who yearn for improvement in their living standards in condition of peace, security and solidarity and to put Ghana onto the path of sustained progress and prosperity.”

In the view of Nana Addo, the citizenry can hope for a brighter future because we are blessed with enormous wealth and human potential.

He noted that Ghana’s stable democracy had also seen a sustained growth in the size of the economy with an expanded private sector.

The National Chief Iman, Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu underscored the need for all to live together despite our ethnic and tribal diversity.

He said it is his prayer for Allah to make Ghana prosperous.

Dr. Nuhu Sharubutu said anybody Allah selects must be grateful and express greater gratitude to God stressing that all other faiths in the country owe God a duty to be faithful.

The National Chief Iman who was speaking through an interpreter said God choose Ghana for its favor and gave it stability when her neighbors were caught up in wars.

He was optimistic that God would bless the country under the current administration and order the lives of the leadership of the country.

The celebration, which was to mark the country’s stable democracy over the past two and a half decades, was attended, among others, by traditional rulers, heads of civil society groups, security agencies and the diplomatic corps.

Former presidents Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama read the first, second and third scriptures respectively.

From 1992, Ghana has enjoyed a stable democracy which has seen at least two of the country’s biggest political parties- the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress taking turns to govern the country after winning elections.

But the situation was not the same shortly after independence.

Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who led the CPP government after independence was overthrown in 1966, after just six years in power, marking the end of the First Republic.

The Second Republic, led by Dr. K.A. Busia, was also overthrown in 1972 after winning the 1969 election; while the PNP’s Hilla Limann, who also won power in 1979, was overthrown in 1981.

After eleven long years of military rule the country eventually transitioned into a democratic regime with Jerry John Rawlings winning the 1992 elections.

After consulting with political parties last week, the president decided to commemorate the Silver Jubilee anniversary with a thanksgiving service.

Earlier former president John Dramani Mahama, in a statement issued in Accra, said “the Fourth Republic will be our last Republic and would last for centuries to come. We owe the foundation of our political stability to the Good People of Ghana and the contributions of the various political parties and actors, post January 07, 1993.”

He noted that with all its ups and downs, democracy and constitutional rule have brought enormous dividends to Ghana.